As always, the WSBeat summaries are from reports on cases handled recently by Southwest Precinct officers, incidents of note that (usually) have not already appeared here in breaking-news coverage or West Seattle Crime Watch reports, but that might at least answer the question “what WERE all those police doing on my block (whenever)?”:

*Around 7:30 a.m. on a recent Thursday, a 15-year-old was assaulted on the bike trail near the steel mill by two men who told him to empty his pockets. He was punched and knocked to the ground (and also struck back, bloodying one suspect’s nose). The suspects — considered to be possibly homeless because they were described as “both pretty dirty” — were described as black men: One in his twenties, about 6 feet tall, wearing a white short-sleeved T shirt; the other in his forties, about 5’8”, wearing a black beanie, black shirt, and brown baggy pants. They remain at large.

Ahead, five more summaries, including the case of the arrested landlord, and trouble at/near Lincoln Park:

*On August 2nd, around 2 a.m., several young men got into a brawl in Lincoln Park. One was struck in the head, knocked to the ground, and lost consciousness. He also lost a tooth and about $500 worth of property, including some jewelry and an iPod.

*An officer assisted a Parks Department employee in closing Lincoln Park late on August 5th. They discovered that someone had broken two water spigots in the covered picnic area near the water, and water was pouring out of them. (It’s unknown how long the water had been running.) After locating and shutting off the main water valve, they discovered that someone had set fire to the toilet paper dispensers in the women’s bathroom, damaging both the dispensers and the walls.

*After multiple incidents at an Arbor Heights home, a landlord was repeatedly informed of what is legal (and illegal) regarding her behavior toward a tenant. She was told directly by officers that she could not enter the tenant’s living space without proper written notice. On Monday the 6th, the tenant (whose rent was paid through the 11th) arrived home from work and discovered his belongings stacked in the driveway. Several items (including mail) were missing. Because she had trespassed in his space without notice, the landlord was arrested and booked into King County Jail for investigation of burglary. The tenant had already decided to move out because of the problems.

*On Friday, August 3rd, a citizen called 911 to report a suspicious vehicle in the 8400 block of 14th SW. Two men had been sitting inside for over twenty minutes. As officers arrived, the pair was stepping away from the vehicle. The driver appeared to be nervous, had “pin-point” pupils and was slow to respond to officer commands. He also refused to keep his hands out of his pockets, where officers saw the plunger of a needle. A frisk for weapons showed that the needle was filled with a dark brown substance (that later tested positive for heroin). The car had two different license plates, both from stolen vehicles. Officers later found a packet of heroin on the ground where he had been standing. This man, a 35-year-old Arbor Heights resident, was booked into King County Jail for investigation of auto theft and drug violations. His passenger was later released from the precinct.

*On a recent Wednesday afternoon, parents and a Parks Department employee were concerned about the behavior of a young man sitting near a wading pool. He seemed to be staring blankly at the children, and he didn’t respond to questions by the employee. When officers arrived, he paused for a moment, silently, and then said, “I am just sitting here eating honey.” (Indeed, he was eating honey out of a jar.) Because he seemed either high or impaired, officers had him transported to Harborview for an evaluation. One of the medics noticed an autism bracelet on the man’s arm. At that time, there were no reports of missing or endangered persons in the area to help with identification.

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EDITOR’S NOTE: Remember, the CRISIS LINE is a resource for those in crisis, including thoughts or acts of self-harm: 206.461.3222 … WSBeat roundups are archived here. We also publish crime reports when we get tips or otherwise hear about noteworthy incidents – they don’t all turn up on the scanner, so please don’t be shy about letting us know when you see/hear something happening = calling or texting 206-293-6302 is the best way.

10 Comments

What was the location of the first report?
I am not familiar with the ‘steel mill” bike trail.

Which bike trail is this, the alternate trail that runs behind the businesses and Skylark (heading north along the steel mill access road) and winds down to Spokane St.? If so, that trail is pretty isolated from the main traffic – this is disturbing.

As for the landlord story. If the tenant was truly in the right (which it sounds like), that landlord is scum. I had a crap landlord back in the day, amazed me how stupid some landlords are. They got mad at my neighbor in the unit next to me for ‘leaving with only a weeks notice’ even though he refinished all the wood flooring, put in slate floors for the kitchen, new tile for the back splash and fresh paint on all the walls (he was a contractor/builder who did that for a living anyhow) all for FREE. When we left we could not take our washer and dryer after they changed the door jams out with newer ones that were smaller than before, they got mad at us and said it would depreciate the rent value…ya, because nobody wants a perfectly functioning washer and dryer when they rent a place. Some landlords just NEED to go to jail. I’m actually hoping this landlord is my old landlord.

I had nothing but problems with RP management (they operate under different names as well). Serious mold issues that were painted over, the lock on my storage unit was cut and all contents removed. Of course they never took ownership and always blame/d the tenant! ‘It was my fault the lock was cut/contents removed because I filled out the paperwork incorrectly’ – I did not write down the number they had at the top of the locker. Apparently filling out the paperwork and having my name and apartment number on the door of the locker was insufficient information. They had no problem cashing my checks with just my name. The manager I have now is awesome!

I know who the landlord is and she is the nicest old lady. Lives there with her son and works where I come in after a long day. Wonderful person. I know the whole story and the “renter” did not pay any rent, then demanded another months stay. When I came to her house the smell from the downstairs (where the renter stayed) was horrid and she went down to open a window and door in another room, the man came out and told her that she has no right being in the downstairs and to get the fuck out. He then called the cops and she was arrested! For opening a window! I heard the man say that the whole downstairs is his living area and that she steals and goes through his stuff, when I rented there it was one room, and I know that hasnt changed.

She babysat my kid, fed us when she made dinner and treated me and my kid like part of her family. The guy that got her arrested laughed downstairs about what had happened.